Come-along for chains



M, 1950 R. s. TowsE 2,497,805

COME-ALONG FOR CHAINS Filed Jap. 2o, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 1 W'lllllh.

'Umih /lmmllnl 'I E? Z INVENTOR.

ROY S. T OVYSE www ATTORNEY Feb. 149 1950 R. s. TowsE coMEALoNG FOR CHAINS Filed Jan. 20,V 1948 INVENTOR.

1 ROY S. TQWSE AT TORNEY Patented Feb. Y14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COME-ALONG FOR CHAINS Roy S. Towse, Weiser, Idaho Application January 20, 1948, Serial No. 3,262

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a come-along for applying tension with haulage power to a chain.

The name come-along is commonly applied to a linemans tool that is used in somewhat the same manner to apply stretching tension to wires in repairing pole supported wires.

The main object of the invention is an easily carried and stowed tool that can be carried in an automobile, a small boat or a truck, and that applies the principle of the lever t a chain, effectively, to pull a car, for example, out of a place where it cannot be driven from, when the only power available is the manual effort of the driver.

It is another object to provide a tool of the kind where, when once a pull chain is attached to a load and an anchor chain secured to a suitable anchorage, the user can work the tool by back and forth movement of a suitable lever, without having to stoop and manipulate the necessary detent mechanism that successively engages and disengages links of the load chain to haul in the load.

A further object is a special linkage containing a turnbuckle or the like, whereby when two members are to be hauled into accurate registry, as for example when the hauling tool must be let go to insert a bolt through two holes, the chain can be stopped anywhere.

Drawings accompany and form a. part of this specification, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of one of the best forms of the invention, with parts sectioned and other parts broken away to accommodate the drawing to the sheet;

Fig. 2 is a fragment of the structure shown in Fig. 1, in which the detent mechanism is shown as it will move to take up some more load chain, the view taken on the plane 2 2, Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan partially in section taken on the plane 3--3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows the structure of Fig. l at a smaller scale with a rm anchorage for the anchor chain, the load chain being under maximum tension;

Fig. 5 shows the linkage containing the turnbuckle for close Work in pulling a part into position where it will not stay without holding; and

Figs. 6 and 7 show in general the same structure that is used in the other figures but have grab-hooks that straddle a link instead of the round pointed hooks that enter a space in the middle of a link, as will be explained.

Describing the drawings in greater detail. Numeral I represents a double-acting lever. The lever I can be rocked when it is secured to an anchoring means, such as the anchor chain 2, by the linkage 3, which is in tension between the lever I and a suitable anchor such as shown in Fig. 4, which contains all of the elements mentioned, at reduced scale.

In equal, relatively short spaced position on the lever I, at its lower end are detents or hooks 4 and 5, which will be the same in construction but are oppositely faced and equipped with chain engaging bills 6 and 1. These bills 6 and 1 may be either the round pointed form in which the points enter between the sides of a link in space not occupied by other links of the chain; or may be alternatively of the grab hook variety shown in Figs. 6 and 7 where a bill is bifurcated and engages a link by passing the forks of the bifurcation on each side of a link. The bifurcated bill will ordinarily be stronger and may be used with a shorter link chain than can be used with the round bill.

I will now explain a very important part of the detent structure, without which it will take two hands to operate, which would greatly impair its usefulness. This refers to the spring rocker links 8 and 9.

Figs. l, 2 and 7 show these spring rocker links in diiierent operating positions. We assume that in Fig. l, the load chain Ill, has been hooked onto the bill I of the hook 5, and the lever has been pushed to put a slight additional load on the load chain I0, by manual force applied in the direction of the arrow I I.

The spring rocker links 8 and 9 are pivotally attached to the hook 5 by the pivot pin I2, which extends through the spacers I3, and serves concurrently for the two spring rocker links. The rocker links are of duplicate construction and a description of only one will therefore be given.

The eiiective length of the rocker link is the length of the tube 88, from the pivot I2 to the bottom of the slot I3", and as the lever I moves rocking the elements of the link, the latter lifts the hooks out of engagement with the chain as it reaches the center and lowers it into a further link, the spring I'I cooperating with the rest of the link. The three steps are shown in Figs. l, 2 and 7, referring to the upper hook. The lower hook works equally and oppositely.

The body of the rocker link 8, is a tube 88, such as a piece of steel pipe of the right size; nominal 3/8 pipe will be found suitable in most cases. The pipe 88 is slotted at I3', which slot contains the pintle I4, a through pintle that holds the detent 4 by reason of passing through it and by reason of the spacers I5 and IG. The double,

spring rocker links form a rigid assembly. Each of the tubes, such as 88, contains a spiral tension spring II, with ends formed as loops, one of which is around the pivot I2, the other surrounding the pintle I4, which is freely slidable within the slot I3' of the rocker link 8. The pintle I4, normally rests in the bottom of the slot I3', under tension applied by the spring I'I, but this spring yields, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the bill 6 of the hook 4 to pass over the link of the load chain I0, and serves to make engagement with a link lying normal to the one it passes over, as illustrated in Fig. '7, by reason of the pull of the spring I 1. When the lever is oppositely worked, the bottom hook works likewise.

This action will be fully automatic, that is, it will follow back and forth movement of the lever I, provided always that the lever is moved far enough, which is taken care of by the proper proportioning of the rocker links 8 and 9, which, in combination with the lever fulcrumed midway between the pivots I8 and I9, is equally spaced on opposite sides of the linkage 3, or fulcrum member.

To hold the come-along in any intermediate position, as when registration requires it closer than the spacing of the links in the load chain IIJ, I place the swinging linkage 22, containing the turnbuckle 23, on the lever I, at 24, the linkage having a chain engaging hook 25 at its opposite end, which can be hooked either into the load chain I0 or the anchor chain 2, depending upon which way the stress on the load chain tends to throw the lever I.

Where the round point hook, as shown in Figs. l and 2, is used, I prefer to groove the hooks as shown by dotted lines in these figures to prevent permanent bending of the chain links under heavy loads.

Having disclosed my invention so that those familiar with the art to which it appertains can make and use it, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A ychain puller comprising a lever, a, link pivotally carried by and projecting rearwardly from the lever in spaced relation to the lower end thereof for engagement by an anchor chain, hooks extending forwardly from the lower portion of said lever and disposed one above the link and the other below the link in spaced relation thereto, said hooks each consisting of a shank having its rear endportion straddling the lever and pivoted thereto and its front end formed with a bill adapted for detachable engagement through a link of a load chain, rocker links at opposite sides of said hooks and each consisting of a tube open at upper and lower ends, the upper portions of the tubes, having inner and outer side portions formed with longitudinally extending slots, pintles passing transversely through the hooks in rearwardly spaced relation to front and rear ends thereof and having portions projecting from opposite sides of the hooks andpassing through end portions of the rocker links to pivotally connect the rocker links with the hooks, the upper pintle being passed through the slots and slidably connecting upper ends of the links with the hooks, helical springs in the tubes having their ends connected with the'upper and lower pintles and exerting pull longitudinally of 'the tubes and urging the hooks towards each other, and spacers about the pintles disposedA betweenthe hooks and the tubes and holding therocker hooks in spaced relation to opposite sides of the hooks.

ROY S. TOWSE.

REFERENCES' CITED The followingreferences are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 769,714 Riley Sept. 13, 1904 912,845 Haynes et al Feb. 161909l 2,227,893 Benjamin Jan-7, 1941 

